A Washington Post editorial says President Donald Trump can help Americans trust him by releasing his tax returns.
"In a 28-day tenure already marred by many blunders — both by his staff and by himself — President Trump's rambling news conference Thursday, riddled with misstatements of fact and attacks on reporters, stands out mainly for its consistency with what came before," the Post notes.
"It was seemingly meant to counteract growing concerns, including among Republicans on Capitol Hill, that the ouster of a national security adviser for lying to the vice president was indicative of administration incompetence generally, or of a sinister association with the regime of Vladimir Putin.
"If so, Mr. Trump's stream-of-consciousness performance — 'I'm not ranting and raving,' he said at one point — may not have done the trick."
The newspaper's editorial board says the president dismissed questions about any links he and his team may have had with Russia.
"This would be good news, and it may well be true," the newspaper says. "If only the public could trust it."
But the paper claims Trump was the least transparent major-party candidate in modern U.S. history and has done little to change that since being elected. It also noted he has refused to release his tax returns after promising to do so.
The Post points out Trump has taken "worthwhile steps to separate himself from his business empire."
And it adds: "We should know what sorts of assets he has in what places, to whom he owes money and at which governments' pleasure his businesses operate.
"Throughout Mr. Trump's sprawling news conference, as he spoke about Russia, the 'mess' the country is in, media 'dishonesty,' Democrats' errors and a variety of other issues, this point rang true: It would be a lot easier to give the president the benefit of the doubt if he backed his words with evidence."
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